American Greetings puts plans back in motion for new headquarters

American Greetings Corp. announced that its plans “are back in motion” for a new world headquarters at the Crocker Park mixed-use center in Westlake.In a news release issued by Patrice Sadd, communications manager for American Greetings, the company said it does not have a targeted move-in date for its offices though other parts of the project associated with the headquarters can start moving forward. The greeting card maker dubs the project a new “Creative Studios” rather than a headquarters.American Greetings announced last November it was suspending work on the new studios while its board of directors studied a proposal from the founding Weiss family to take the company private. Shareholders approved the go-private deal Aug. 7 and the transaction was completed Aug. 9, but the company had remained silent about whether it would continue with a plan to change its address from its sprawling, longtime home in suburban Brooklyn.Ms. Sadd said the decision to move ahead with the new headquarters allows the city of Westlake and Crocker Park developer Stark Enterprises Inc. to proceed with other stages of the project. During the hiatus, Robert Stark, CEO of Stark, said his company would continue planning for the expansion south of the Crocker Park office, retail and residential complex.Stark Enterprises and the project's architects — RTKL, a firm with 13 offices around the globe, and Cleveland's Bialosky + Partners — have continued to submit plans with the city of Westlake and revise design elements for the project. Some fine-tuning of details were approved last month by Westlake Planning Commission.